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BIOGRAPHY
Following Stanley Weinbaum's death in 1935 the demand from readers of his fiction in the science fiction pulp magazines of the period continued unabated. His contemporary agents, his widow, and later Forrest J. Ackerman, as agent, continued to see, from Weinbaum's legacy of typescripts, that the pulps published new stories, that Weinbaum anthologies were issued, and that his work continued to appear in general anthologies throughout the world.
In the Spring of 1993 his widow, now Margaret Kay (d.1996), presented to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection of the Temple University Libraries the remaining family collection of the manuscripts, pulps, agent correspondence, and related archival materials of Stanley G. Weinbaum. In addition she has provided for the conservation of the manuscripts to ensure their preservation through microfilming which was completed in November 1996.
Appended to this register of manuscripts, correspondence and pulp issues in the Weinbaum Papers is a list of editions of his works in the Science fiction and Fantasy Collection and many of the anthologies, English language and foreign, in which his works have appeared, also in the Collection.
In 1934, in what is now regarded as the Golden Age of Science Fiction publishing, appeared "A Martian Odyssey" in WONDER STORIES by Stanley G. Weinbaum. It was the first published science fiction story of the author and the first alien story to probe the alternative psyche of beings from extra-terrestrial bodies and explore the eco-systems of other planets all from a non-earth based view. It was also the first of the stories from less than two years of publishing before the author died prematurely of cancer.
Posthumously published short stories and novels of Stanley G. Weinbaum only enhanced his reputation gained in his short years of pulp publication. His writing style and his excursions in humour, superman studies, and alien life remain today landmarks of early science fiction creative thought.
Stanley Weinbaum wrote in longhand without extensive revision, his manuscripts typed by his wife for submission. The drafts and holograph manuscripts described below exhibit his clarity of description and plot as he wrote, only occasionally and for major novels (THE NEW ADAM) did he approach with extensive planning, like Mozart most of his work was created and revised before placing on paper.
Prior to the acceptance of his science fiction stories he wrote numerous manuscripts for the freelance romantic and mystery market under the pseudonym Marge Stanley, the majority unsold. Many of these manuscripts are in this collection as well as many of the science fiction manuscripts and typescripts. The excited fan mail to his pulps on his work prior to and following his death and during the posthumous pulp publishing is also preserved in this collection.
Milwaukee author, University of Milwaukee attendee, and Golden Age American science fiction innovator: Stanley G. Weinbaum, 1902-1935.
DESCRIPTIVE INVENTORY
I. MANUSCRIPTS, PRIMARILY SCIENCE FICTION WORKS:
Box 1 "The Adaptive Ultimate." Holograph in pencil, with decorative
heading on page one. 42p. on 42 leaves. Minimal reworking of
text. 8vo.
"The Black Flame." Typed, carbon and direct. 269p. on 242 leaves
(pp.1-6, 8-34, 47-56, 58-92 [12] 117 [1] 120-174 [7] 181-189 [1]
192-269). Incomplete. 8vo.
"The Circle of Zero." Typed, carbon. 25p. on 25 leaves. 8vo.
"The New Adam." Original drafts: two college notebooks
(French, and English & Chemistry) with his collegiate notes.
Apparently used during his sales travelling in 1926 for a Chicago
chemical firm in Wisconsin and Minnesota as note books and
contain on 64 pages his first draft of "New Adam." First sentence:
"Anna Hall died as stolidly as she had lived." 12mo. Ink on paper.
“New Adam.” Holograph in pencil, decorative headings on four
leaves. 23 leaves (24p.). Includes: Contents leaf (2p.), Proem
(8p.), and of Book I, chapter 1 (12p.) and two pages of chapter.
"The Planet of Doubt." Holograph in pencil, decorative heading on
page one. 52p. on 52 leaves, wanting page 7. With author's
changes.
"The Point of View." Typed carbon. 22p. on 22 leaves.
Clean copy.
"Proteus Island." Holograph in pencil, decorative heading on
page one. 62p. on 62 leaves. Few author changes.
"The Red Peri." Typed carbon. 64p. on 64 leaves.
Box 1 "Redemption Cairn." typed carbon. 40p. on 40 leaves.
"Shifting Seas." Holograph in pencil. 43p. on 43 leaves.
Box 2 "What's It All About? Holograph in pencil. Two folders. 420p.
Decorative chapter headings. (Folder 2: Box 2).
"What's It All About?" Typed carbon. 362p. Incomplete;
Preface and Chapter 4 to end: first three chapters wanting.
"What's It All About?" By Edward N. Schoolman, M.D. and Stanley
G. Weinbaum. "Suggested Alternative Titles: New Lives for old
[and] Utopia Bound." [2]xviii, 362p. on 382 leaves. Original
typed copy, in binder with stamp of Otis Kline Associates, Agents.
Holograph name and address of Margaret Kay.
"The World's Luckiest." Holograph in pencil.Fragments: 5 pages of
Chapter one, ending in mid-sentence, two pages on one of chapter
outline, and one page of notes. Decorative headings on chapter
list and page one of Chapter one.
II. MANUSCRIPTS OF NON-SCIENCE FICTION FREE-LANCE WRITINGS:
Box 3 "After Dinner Love" By Marge Stanley [pseud.]. Original typed copy
in binder. 260p. Title page on submission-return letterhead of
Lurton Blassingame, Agent, N.Y.C.
"The Lady Dances" By Marge Stanley [pseud.]
"Synopsis." Typed copy. 10p. on 10 leaves.
"The Lady Dances" By Marge Stanley [pseud.]. Syndication
3-column sheets with illustrations by Hammon, one sheet per
chapter. "Copyrighted 1934, by King Features Syndicate, Inc."
Pasted into oversize scrapbook (filed in oversize box), with
International Literary Bureau, New York scratched out on cover
label. 36 sheets.
"The Lady in the Rain." [Title of Chapter One, no title page].
Original typing. 245p.
"She Tried to be Bad." By Marge Stanley [pseud.]. Original typing.
21p. on 21 leaves. For Weinbaum, heavily pencil changed,
revisions, emendations. (6,000 words).
Box 3 "She Tried to be Bad." By Marge Stanley [pseud.]. Original typing,
18p. Revised typing from above changes . With cover title page
on submission-return letterhead of Lurton Blassingame, Agent,
N.Y.C. (4,000 words).
"Without Love" [By Marge Stanley, pseud.]. Typed carbon, 202
pages. Some typing on verso of blank letterhead sheets of
Leban-Kasson Co., Inc., Manufacturers Representatives,
Cleveland, Ohio.
III. PHOTOGRAPHS:
Stanley G. Weinbaum. Studio portrait, photoprint, photographer
unidentified. 21.5 x 16 cm. This is the portrait used by Fantasy
Press on the dust jacket for The Black Flame and in The Dawn of
Flame and Other Stories.
Stanley G. Weinbaum. As above, photoprint, reduced to
14.7 x 9.7 cm. From commercial mat imprinted: Haynes, Palace
Theatre Bldg., Milwaukee.
Margaret Weinbaum. Amateur photograph, photoprint, posing on
stairs outside building in Waco, Texas, early 1930s. 12.4 x 9.8 cm.
Original mat and contemporary frame for the two S.G.W.
photoprints, above.
IV. CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN AGENTS, EDITORS, PUBLISHERS AND LAWYERS WITH THE WEINBAUMS:
Box 4 Ackerman, Forrest J. (as Agent) 1945-1949. 1 folder.
Ackerman, Forrest J. (1970s-1980) publicity news clippings.
1 folder.
American Fiction Guild (Norvell W. Page) 1935. 1 folder.
Blassingame, Lurton (as Agent) 1935-1936. 1 folder.
International Literary Bureau (as Agent) 1934-1936. 1 folder.
King Features Syndicate. 1933-1935 with financial statements.
1 folder.
Box 4 Moskowitz, Sam (as editor and historian) 1946- 1947. 1 folder.
Otis Kline Associates (Oscar Friend) 1948-1956. 1 folder.
Schwartz, Julius (as Agent) 1934-1953. 1 folder.
Tibbs & Tibbs, (Attorneys) 1939-1945. 1 folder.
Weisinger, Mortimer (Astounding, Fantasy Magazine,
etc. 1934-1936. 1 folder.
Wonder Stories (Hugo Gernsback, Continental Publications,
Charles Hornig, Samuel Scheff) 1934-1935. 1 folder.
Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. 1939. 1 folder.
Various Agents and Publishers. 1934-1955. 1 folder.
V. FAN LETTERS, UNPUBLISHED & PUBLISHED, PUBLISHED NOTICES,
OBITUARIES, ETC., COLLEAGUES:
Correspondence from Ralph Milner Farley (collaborator), Donald
Wollheim, Earle Perry (Texas), Walter Gillings (England), Otto
Binder, John Pierce, et al.
Wonder Stories. 1935 Nov./Dec. (v.7, no.6). Page 673
announcement, pp.756-757 fan mail on Weinbaum.
Astounding Stories. 1936 February (v.16, no.6). Pages 151-160
Fan mail on Weinbaum.
Astounding Stories 1936 April (v.17, no.2). Pages 151-160, Fan
mail and condolences.
Wonder Stories 1936 April (v.7, no.8). Page 907, obituary.
Astounding Stories 1936 May (v.17, no.3). Pages 155-160, fan
mail on Weinbaum.
Thrilling Wonder Stories 1936 October (v.8, no.2). Page 125,
announcement by Raymond Palmer of the Weinbaum Memorial
Volume, Milwaukee.
Box 5 Startling Stories 1939 March (v.1, no.2). Pages 122-129, fan mail
on "The Black Flame."
Satellite Science Fiction 1959 May (v.3, no.6). Pages 28-34:
"Stanley G. Weinbaum: Dawn of Flame" by Sam Moskowitz.
Also: pp.59-60: "Graph" by Weinbaum.
Name a Star. Immortality Inc., l978. Naming star number 00-229
(82 degrees 56 minutes 34.02 seconds 1H 17M 27.125S
Constellation Cepheus) as the Stanley Grauman Weinbaum star.
Insight. The Sunday Magazine of the Milwaukee Journal. 1980
January 20. Cover and pp.6-9:
"From Milwaukee to Mars: The Odyssey of Stanley G. Weinbaum"
by Frank William Puncer. Cover art by Gregg Klees (Flat box).
Fantasy Commentator. 1991 Fall (v.7, no.2): Weinbaum Memorial
Issue with articles by Eric Leif Davin, Sam Moskowitz, R. Alain
Everts, Octavio Ramos, Jr. and SGW's "Last Citizen of Earth",
verse, p.125.
"Sources of Inspiration? Stanley G. Weinbaum's Shirt Pocket
Library" by Eric Leif Davin. Typescript, 1992? 13p.
Bibliographical folder: card file of stories with composition dates,
agents, submissions, purchasers and prices paid. Late or post
1950 4p. lists of Weinbaum stories published and unpublished.
From SGW's Library: 21 Haldeman-Julius Little Blue Books
(2 folders): Daniel Bonus, Anton S. Booker, Hereward Carrington,
Will Durant (2), Charles Finger (2), Gloria Goddard, Leo Markun
(2), Joseph McCabe (2), Maynard Shipley (4), Upton Sinclair,
Robert Louis Stevenson, Clement Wood, and "Self-Contradictions
of the Bible."
VI. PUBLISHED PULP STORIES:
"The Black Flame." In: Startling Stories January 1939 (v.1, no.1).
"The Brink of Infinity." In: Thrilling Wonder Stories December 1936
(v.8, no.3).
Box 5 "The Circle of Zero." In: Thrilling Wonder Stories August 1936
(v.8, no.1).
"Dawn of Flame." In: Thrilling Wonder Stories June 1939
(v.13, no.3).
Box 6 "Flight on Titan." In: Astounding Stories January 1935 (v.14, no.5).
"Green Glow of Death." In Crack Detective and Mystery Stories
July 1957 (v.17, no.1).
"The Lotus Eaters." In: Astounding Stories April 1935 (v.15, no.2).
"The Mad Moon." In: Astounding Stories December 1935
(v.16, no.4).
"[The Mad Moon]" trans. "Sileny mesic."
In: Ikarie July 1990 (Prague).
"Parasite Planet." In: Astounding Stories February 1935
(v.14, no.6).
"Planet of Doubt." In: Astounding Stories October 1935
(v.16, no.2).
"The Point of View." In: Wonder Stories February 1936 (v.7, no.7).
Box 7 "Proteus Island." In: Astounding Stories August 1936 (v.17, no.6).
"Pygmalion's Spectacles." In: Wonder Stories June 1935
(v.7, no.1).
"Pygmalion's Spectacles." In: Fantastic Story Magazine
Spring 1955 (v.8, no.2)
"The Red Peri." In: Astounding Stories November 1935
(v.16, no.3).
"Redemption Cairn." In: Astounding Stories March 1936
(v.17, no.1).
"Revolution of 1950. Part 2." In: Amazing Stories November 1938
(v.12, no.6).
Box 7 "Smothered Seas" by Ralph Milne Farley and Stanley G. Weinbaum.
In: Astounding Stories January 1936 (v.16, no.5).
"Valley of Dreams." In: Wonder Stories November 1934 (v.6, no.6).
"The Worlds of If." In: Wonder Stories August 1935 (v.7, no.3).
“A Martian Odyssey.” In: Expanse. Winter 1994 (number 2).
“Forrest J. Ackerman selects…”
“Sources of Inspiration? Weinbaum’s Shirt Pocket Library.” By Eric
Leif Davin. In: Fantasy Commentator, Fall 1997 (vol. 9, no. 2).
pp. 133-140, 153-156.
“Biography of Stanley G. Weinbaum.” By RAE [R. Alain Everts].
Stanley Grauman Weinbaum, Pts. I-IV. (Madison, Wis., The
Strange Co., 1990-1991). EOD? Photocopy of a copy sent by
Everts to A. Langley Searles now in the Searles H.P.L. Files,
Temple.
Box 8 One set (4 reels) of the Weinbaum microfilm (service copy).
Three books from the Library of Margaret Kay, each with a
presentation poem inscribed to her from Stanley Weinbaum:
(1) India’s Love Lyrics, including The Garden of Kama.
Collected & arranged in verse by Laurence Hope. New
York, Dodd, Mean and Company, 1923. 16 line
holograph verse “To Margaret.”
(2) The Eve of Saint Agnes. John Keats. Philadelphia, George
W. Jacobs & Co. [n.d.] 14 line holograph verse “Margaret.”
(3) The Uplands of Dream. Edgar Saltus. Edited with an
introduction & a bibliography by Charles Honce. Chicago,
Pascal Covici, 1925, 12 line holograph verse “Margaret."
EDITIONS OF WEINBAUM BOOKS AND INCLUSION IN ANTHOLOGIES
IN THE SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY COLLECTION:
(A Selection)
The Black Flame. Stanley G. Weinbaum. Reading, Pa., Fantasy
Press, 1948. And, another issue. Copy No. 261 of 500 of the
edition of 3,000.
The Black Flame. [New York]. Avon Books [April 1969]. Pb.
The Black Flame. [The Newly Restored Edition]. With a new
introduction by Sam Moskowitz. San Francisco, A Tachyon
Publication [October 1995].
The Dark Other. Stanley G. Weinbaum. Los Angeles, Fantasy
Publishing Co., Inc., 1950.
Dawn of Flame And Other Stories. Stanley G. Weinbaum.
[Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Fictioneers and Milwaukee Chapter of
the American Fiction Guild, c1936].
Fantasy Twin. Los Angeles, Fantasy Publishing Co., Inc. [1951?]
Fantasy Publishing Co.’s combined edition from original sheets, one
of 500, of L. Sprague de Camp’s The Undesired Princess, 1951, and
Weinbaum’s The Dark Other, 1950.
The King’s Watch. Stanley Weinbaum. [Rochester, MI]
Posthumous Press, 1994.
The Lady Dances. Stanley G. Weinbaum. Gradignan, France,
Robert Soubie & Les Editions de l’Aged ’Or [2007].
The Martian Odyssey and Others. Stanley G. Weinbaum, Reading,
Pa., Fantasy Press, 1949. Trade issue and limited issue, no. 137 of
500.
A Martian Odyssey [and Other Classics of Science Fiction by]
Stanley Weinbaum. [Edited and with a special introduction by Sam
Moskowitz]. New York, Lancer books [1962]. Pb.
A Martian Odyssey. Another printing, 1966.
A Martian Odyssey. Third printing, 1972.
A Martian Odyssey and Other Science Fiction Tales. The Collected
Short Stories of Stanley G. Weinbaum. Introduction by Sam
Moskowitz. Westport, Connecticut, Hyperion Press, Inc. [1974].
The New Adam. By Stanley G. Weinbaum. Chicago, New York,
Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 1939. 62p. Blue cloth printed in
blue. First book edition.
The New Adam. Stanley G. Weinbaum. [New York] An Avon Book
[May 1969]. 190p. Wrappers as issued, cover illustration by Jeff
Jones. "First paperback publication."
The New Adam. Stanley G. Weinbaum. London, Sphere Books
Limited [1974]. [203]p. Wrappers, cover illustration not signed.
Their: SF Classic No. 14.
The Red Peri. Stanley G. Weinbaum. Reading, Pa., Fantasy Press,
1952.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDITIONS OF WEINBAUM.
Der Neue Adam. [The New Adam]. Ein Klassicher Science
Fiction-Roman. Deutsche Erstveroffentlichung. Munchen
[Germany] Wilhelm Heyne Verlag [1977]. Deutsche Ubersetzung
von Werner Fuchs. Wrappers. [176]p. Heyne no.3542.
Cover illustration by Olof Feindt (Van Vindt).
Die Besten Stories von Stanley G. Weinbaum [The Best of]
[Munchen, Germany] Moewig [Moweig Verlag, 1980]. Wrappers,
cover illustration: Norma/Pujolar. 368p. Contents: Foreword by
Isaac Asimov.--A Martian Odyssey.--Valley of Dreams.--The
Adaptive Ultimate.--Parasite Planet.--Pygmalion's Spectacles.--The
Worlds of If.--The Mad Moon.--Redemption Cairn.--The Ideal.—The
Lotus Eaters.
Der Dunkle Doppelganger. [The Dark Other]. Ein Klassischer
Science Fiction-Roman. Deutsche Erstveroffentlichung. Munchen
[Germany], Wilhelm Heyne Verlag [1975]. Deutsche Ubersetzung
Von Yoma Cap. Wrappers. [174]p. Heyne no. 3424. Cover
illustration by Karl Stephan.
La Flamme Noire [The Black Flame]. [Paris] Albin Michel [seconde
edition francaise, 1972]. Traduction francaise par Georges-H.
Gallet. Wrappers. [254]p.
Mars-Odyssee [A Martian Odyssey]. Science Fiction Erzahlungen.
Sonderausgabe. Munchen [Germany], Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
[1987]. Deutsche Ubersetzung von Walter Brumm. Wrappers.
[172]p. Cover illustration by Johann Peterka. Contents: Das
Wunder Weinbaum von Sam Moskowitz.--A Martian Odyssey.--The
Adaptive Ultimate.—The Lotus Eaters.--Proteus Island.--Brink of
Infinity.
Lo Mejor de Stanley G. Weinbaum [The Best of...] [Barcelona,
Spain], Ediciones Martinez Roca, S.A. [1977]. Prologo de Isaac
Asimov, Epilogo de Robert Bloch. Traduccion de Mariano Orta.
Wrappers. 271p. Cover illustration by Salinas Blanch. Contents:
La segunda nova (Asimov).—Una odisea marciana.--El valle de los
suenos.-- Maxima adaptabilidad.--Las gafas de Pigmalion.--
Mares cambiantes.--Los mundos 'si'.--La Luna loca.- Rescate de un
secreto.--El ideal.--Lotofagos.—La isla de Proteo.--Stanley G.
Weinbaum, un recuerdo personal (Bloch).
Un'Odissea Marziana [A Martian Odyssey].
[Bologna, Italy], libra editrice [1982].
Traduzione di Roberta Rambelli e Luigi Cozzi.
Introduction by Ugo Malaguti. Leatherette,
dust jacket: tempera di Allison. Contents in
English: A Martian Odyssey.--The Valley of the
Dreams.--Parasite Planet.--The Lotos Eaters.--
The Planet of Doubt.--The Mad Moon.
Die Schwarze Flamme. [The Black Flame]. Science
Fiction-Roman. Deutsche Erslveroffentlichung.
munchen [Germany], Wilhelm Heyne Verlag [1974].
Deutsche Ubersetzung von Gunter Treffer. Wrappers.
[236]p. cover illustration by Karl Stephan.
Heyne no.3387.
Die Welten des Wenn... [Martian Odyssey volume].
Klassische Science-fiction-Erzahlungen. [Berlin]
Verlag Das Neue Berlin [1988]. Translation by
by Edda Fensch. With an afterword and bibliography
by Erik Simon. Boards. Contents: Eine Mars-
Odyssee--Das Tal der Traume--Die Welten des Wenn--
Der Kreis der Null--Die auBerste Anpassung—Die Proteus-Insel—
Der Parasitenplanet--Die Lotosesser --Erik Simon: Weinbaums
Welten, wenn Eine
Nachbemerkung--Die Science-fiction Stanley G. Weinbaums.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANTHOLOGIES:
1976: Galery der Giganten 1. de beste science-fictionverhalen
gekozen door the Members of the Science-Fiction Writers of
America. Samenstelling Robert Silverberg.
Amsterdam/Brussel, Elsevier, 1976. Wrappers. 208p.
Original: Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Includes Weinbaum's
"Een Martiaanse Odyssee", p.9-40.
1976: Robot. Speciale 1. Rivista di Fantascienza. (Suppl. al n.9).
Milano, Armenia Editore, 1976. Wrappers. 189p. Includes
Weinbaum's "Cerchio uguale a zero" (Circle of Zero,
translated by Gabriele Tamburine), p.91-107.
1978: Sprong Naar Omega. 20 verhalen van SF-Grootmeesters,
Samengesteld door A. van Hageland. Zele, D.A.P. Reinaert
Vitgaven [1978]. Wrappers. 373p. Includes Weinbaum's
"De Lotuseters," p.315-344.
1985: Aus Dem Tagebuch Einer Ameise. Wissenschaftlich-
Phantastische Tiergeschichten. [Berlin] Verlag Neues
Leben [1985]. Cloth with dust jacket. Herausgegeben von
Michael Szameit. Includes Weinbaum's "Mars-Odyssee,"
p.105-[131]. With illustration by Werner Ruhner.
1985: Science Fiction Jubilaums Band. 25 jahre Heyne science
fiction & fantasy 1960-1985. Das Lesebuch. Herausgegeben
von Wolfgang Jeschke. Munchen, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
[1985]. Wrappers. [796]p. Includes Weinbaum's "Die
Lotos-Esser" p.254-282.
1985: Die Spannendsten Weltraum-Geschichten.
Herausgegeben von Thomas Le Blanc. Munchen,
Sudwest, dust jacket, 360p. Includes Weinbaum's
"Eine Mars-Odyssee," p.195-229, illustrated by Teodor
Rotrekl.
